1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to interfaces between components of a communication network and more particularly to methods, systems and apparatus for adapting a communication device to be capable of use within a wireless communication network.
2. Present State of the Art
Digital communication has become very ubiquitous in their deployment. Most notable, personal computers as well as other general purpose computers have become highly commonplace as data generation and data manipulation devices. Additionally, computers have become more commonly used as communication devices whether for the generation of textual or graphical material or for consumption, namely the viewing perceiving, of computer data.
In an effort to make computers more extensible interface devices, computers have been able to be linked together using network topologies and architectures. Those familiar with computer networks appreciate that the physical coupling of computers to each other requires the use of a physical network which traditionally includes the presence of a physical conduit such as electrically conducting wires or alternatively optical conduits such as fiber optic cables.
In an effort to utilize well established cabling or conduit environments, the public switched telephone network has been widely adopted by the computer community as an acceptable wire-based physical interconnection for computers desiring to form a network. Those familiar with the public switched telephone network appreciate that such a network was originally designed for the conduction of frequencies in the voice bands over their networks. Therefore, in order to transmit data information across the public switched telephone network, devices have been employed to transform the digital data, common to computers, into a format capable of propagating across the telephone network. Devices capable of such transformation are commonly known as modems (MODulate/DEModulates) and provide a carrier frequency upon which the digital data is imposed for propagating across the physical public switch telephone network.
It is appreciated that the public switched telephone network typically implements its physical interconnection using a two-wire system wherein one of the wires is commonly known as the Tip signal while the other signal is commonly known as the Ring signal. Together, the Tip and Ring signals provide the wired interface with which a modem, which is operably coupled to a computer, interacts on the network. It should be apparent that employing the public switched telephone network with its wired interface presents several limitations. First, since the wired interface was established for use with voice frequencies which are characteristically of lower frequencies than data information, it presents a significant bottleneck for the transfer of data. Secondly, since the wired interface of the public switched telephone network requires physical coupling of a computer having a modem or similar device thereby imposing a static environment which precludes widespread movement of the computer device.
In an attempt to address the shortcomings, wireless communication channels such as cellular communication systems have been investigated as potential xe2x80x9cphysicalxe2x80x9d network interfaces for computers having modems. In order to accommodate the wireless communication system, several modem manufactures have developed cellular specific modems that enable a user to connect the modem to a wireless transceiver device such a cellular telephone. However, several shortcomings of the wireless networks have impeded the common use of a wireless physical channel informing computer networks. First, traditional wireless service has to date, been a rather expensive channel through which to dispatch data. Secondly, the use of wireless transceivers has been somewhat cumbersome as unique modems capable of interfacing with wireless transceivers have needed to be developed. Thirdly, the development of a data interface to a wireless transceiver such as a cellular phone has not been standardized as individual transceiver manufactures have promulgated their own individual interface standards. To accommodate the unique data interface of cellular phones promulgated by their individual manufactures, modem manufactures have been forced to develop modems that have both a traditional public switched telephone network wired-interface as well as a transceiver manufacture-specific wireless interface that is compatible only with a particular wireless transceiver manufacture""s specification. Such custom modems have proven both expensive to consumers and manufactures.
An attempt has been made to create a generic-like cellular interface on a wireless-capable modem device that presents a common physical interface such as a standardized connector. However, to facilitate the unique nature of both the wireless transceiver""s operational aspects as well as the physical connecting interface, a custom interconnection cable unique to a specific wireless transceiver has been developed. Therefore, in such an attempt, a cable assembly having a common interface is capable of coupling to the wireless modem while the opposing connector end of the cable assembly is comprised of a connector that is unique to a specific wireless transceiver manufacture""s device. Additionally, in order to operably transfer the data between a wireless transceiver and a computer, manufacture-unique operational software capable of formatting and transceiving data with the wireless transceiver must also be included within the manufacture-unique modem device.
Therefore, the utilization of a wireless (physical) channel in a data network has required custom modem development. Those skilled in the art of modems, appreciate that continuous improvements to modems is common place. Therefore, a modem device that may be state of the art at one point in time may be obsolete within months thereafter. Therefore, to include a wireless interface that is unique to specific transceiver manufactures on a device that is frequently undergoing improvements leads to unnecessary expense and functionality waste when modems are updated or replaced entirely.
Therefore, it would be an improvement to provide a system for enabling a traditional modem architecture to interface with a wireless communication network without burdening the standardized wired modem industry.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a communication device that is capable of working with a variety of world-wide wireless networks.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a communication device which is capable of working with various types of wireless telephones.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a communication device which only requires the changing of an adapter cable to allow communication through a wireless communication network, from an analog-only capable modem.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wireless communication device which is inexpensive.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of converting a signal transceived by a host which is incapable of wireless communication such that the signal is capable of being transceived within a wireless communication network.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and system that modulates and demodulates a signal transceived by a host that is in cooperation with a modem that is only capable of transmitting an analog signal such that the signal may be transceived by a wireless telephone.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, a wireless communication system configured to transceive information through use of a wireless telephone is provided. The wireless communication system comprises a host that is configured to transmit and receive a signal. In communication with the host is an analog-only capable modem. The modem is capable of transceiving signals within an analog communication network. Coupled with the modem and the wireless telephone is a communication adaptor which is configured to convert the signals transceived by the modem such that the wireless telephone is capable of transceiving the signal.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.